Lisa Blaine

Feeling anxious, stressed or stuck? Finding your mood is low and you're feeling overwhelmed a lot of the time? I help people who are feeling like this to find new ways to be with their experiences, bringing clarity, a fresh feel to repetitive emotions and change. I work in a gentle, supportive way, helping you to explore what you are finding difficult and find new ways forward.

Having originally trained and worked as a mental health nurse in the NHS for several years, I went on to train in Person-centred counselling. I discovered that by moving the focus away from illness and towards self-awareness, self-understanding and self-acceptance, people are empowered to make the changes they are seeking.

I use Focusing to work in a way that not only helps you to pay attention to how your mind is feeling, but also sensing in your body, increasing your awareness of the whole of you. Focusing is a gentle, creative and often profound way of listening to your body, hearing whatever is within you and being with what you find, allowing forward movement and change. Our bodies are continually giving us information (for example, feeling tense and anxious) that we so often try to ignore. When we appreciate that these feelings are our body’s way of trying to get our attention and we listen to this deeper knowing, we can start to see what we are struggling with in new ways, allowing change to follow naturally. 

As well as counselling in a room and on Zoom, I also offer walking counselling, in beautiful natural surroundings. Out in nature, we are often better able to pause and reflect, which helps us to see our problems more clearly, enabling us to heal and grow. It can be easier to talk about difficult issues outside.

Each session is one hour.

I work with clients, long and short term, who come with issues including:

Depression, low self esteem, lack of motivation

Anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed

Stress at work

Loss and bereavement

Redundancy

Relationship issues

Traumatic Events

Long term illness

Anger issues

At the centre of therapy is our relationship together and this is where I would start…with getting to know you and spending time listening to your worries and feelings. Being able to talk to someone in an accepting, non-judgemental and confidential place can feel liberating and safe, allowing you to acknowledge and explore parts of yourself that may not have felt safe enough to be present before. We can make space for all of these parts and welcome them.

Our first session together is primarily an opportunity for you to tell me what made you get in touch and what your aims are for counselling. During this session it is important that you get a sense of whether you would like to work with me and for me to sense if I feel I can help you. At the end of that first session, we would discuss if we feel we can work together.

I have a passion for continual learning and discovering new ideas. I feel it is an honour to be a counsellor, to connect deeply with people, share their inner worlds and help them bring about lasting change.

I believe that everyone is able to make positive changes to lead to a happier, more fulfilling life and that we all need some help at sometime to make that happen.

Where do the sessions take place?

In person (in a room): in Stroud or Cirencester

Walking counselling: on the edge of Stroud, usually on Minchinhampton or Rodborough Common. 

On Zoom or on the phone: …anywhere! (provided you have good internet or phone signal and somewhere private to talk from)

What happens next?

If you have any questions or would like to book a session, please send me an email or phone me on  07527 188497 and leave a message if there is no answer. You can also have a look at my website.

I work with clients, long and short term, who come with issues including:

• Depression, low self esteem
• Anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed
• Stress at work
• Loss and bereavement
• Redundancy
• Relationship issues
• Long term illness
• Anger issues
• Family issues
• People seeking refuge

​60 minutes - £50 

During a counselling session, difficult feelings may arise. I feel it is important to end each session feeling emotionally fit to go about the rest of your day. If you would like, I offer a variety of grounding and relaxation techniques as an option which help you to go away from each session feeling safe and held. This allows you to re-calibrate in the new found space you have created in your life. These techniques take a few minutes which is why I offer a minimum of 60 minutes for each counselling session rather than the usual 50 minutes. I feel it is important to take our time and not feel rushed.

I have some concessionary spaces, so please contact me for details.